Combined portable space heater and ventilator



7 Feb. 11, 1958 v. c. HlNES 2,822,800

COMBINED PORTABLE sPAcE HEATER AND VENTILATOR Filed Nov. 9, 1954 2Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR. Var/20 6. fl/nes 4 TTORNiH Feb. 11, 1958 v. c.HINES 2,822,800

COMBINED PORTABLE SPACE HEATER AND VENTILATOR Filed Nov. 9, 1954 2Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. Var/700 61 ?e5 A TIURN 2,822,800 1C6 PatentedFeb. 11, 1958 COMBINED PORTABLE SPACE HEATER AND VENTILATOR Vernon C.Hines, Denver, Colo., assignor to International Manufacturing Company,Littleton, Colo., a corporation of Nevada Application November 9, 1954,Serial No. 467,773

2 Claims. (Cl. 126-110) This invention relates to a portable combinationspace heater and ventilator and is particularly adapted for use whereverworkmen must be subjected to discomfort because of heat, cold or poorcirculation such as in manholes within canopies or tent-like protectorsemployed by linemen on telephone poles and the like.

It is the most important object of the present invention to provide aportable apparatus of the aforementioned character including a casingwherein is housed a heater and a heat exchanger, together with blowermeans for directing artificial currents of air across the heater and theexchanger and thence from the casing to a point of use by way ofsuitable conduits where the workmen may be made more comfortable duringthe time of the particular job with which they are confronted.

Another important object of the present invention is to provide a heaterand ventilator having parts so arranged that maximum absorption of heatby the air is effected so that with but a relatively small burner spaceswithin which workmen must be confined can be heated to a comfortableworking temperature.

Additional objects include many important details of construction to bemade clear or become apparent as the following specification progresses,reference being had to the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a combined portable space heater andventilator made pursuant to the present invention.

Fig. 2 is a vertical, cross-sectional view taken on line II-II of Fig.3.

Fig. 3 is a vertical, cross-sectional view taken on line III-III of Fig.2.

Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the combined heater, heat exchanger andflue entirely removed from within the casing; and

Fig. 5 is a cross-sectional view taken on line V-V of Fig.4.

A hollow casing mounted on a suitable base 12 has a top wall 14, endwalls 16 and 18, a bottom wall 20 and a pair of side walls 22 and 24. Aninlet opening 26 in the side Wall 22 may be covered with a suitablescreen or the like 28 and communicates with a tubular sleeve 31, anoutlet opening 30 in the end wall 16 having a tubular flange 33 incircumscribing relationship thereto adapted to receive suitable conduits(not shown) for conveying currents of air developed by blower 32 to apoint of use. Blower rotor 32 housed within the casing 10 is driven by asuitable prime mover such as an internal combustion engine 34 (mountedon base 12), through a horizontal shaft 36.

A tubular, upright heater 38, open as at 39 and a heat exchanger 40 aremounted in the casing 10 in the manner shown by Figs. 2 and 3, with theheater 38 next adjacent the end wall 18 and with the heat exchanger 40in overlying relationship to the blower rotor 32, as well as in directalignment with the outlet opening 30. A fuel burner 42 is mounted withinthe heater 38 on the bottom wall 20 and is rendered accessible through ahollow side box 44 communicating with the heater 38. Door 46, in the box44 accessible from the outside of casing 10, may be opened for purposesof inspecting the burner 42 as desired.

The heat exchanger 40 consists of a plurality of spaced, horizontal,relatively shallow, closed shells 48 in superimposed relationship andinterconnected by a number of stub pipes 51). The lowermost shell 48communicates with the uppermost end of the heater 38, whereas the uppershell 48 communicates with a flue 52 that extends upwardly through thetop wall 12 and is protected by a tube 54.

Artificial currents of air are produced by the blower rotor 32, andmoving into the casing 10 through inlet 26, are guided directly againstthe heater 38 near the lowermost end thereof and adjacent the burner 42by a spiral scroll or shield 56 that spans the distance between the sidewalls 22 and 24 within the casing 10 and .consists of an upper arcuatesection 57 and a lower curved section 59. The shield 56 is disposedbetween the blower rotor 32 and the heat exchanger 40 and, therefore,all incoming air must traverse the heater 38 as well as the heatexchanger 48, before discharging from the casing 10 through the outlet30.

The forced draft burner 42 may be provided with a thermocouple 58 tocontrol the fuel supply and with an electric igniter 60 if desired. Fuelorifices for the burner 42 are designated by the numeral 62 and a supplypipe 63 is provided to furnish the burner 42 by liquified petroleum gasor other suitable fuel.

It is to be preferred that mufiier 64 for the engine 34 be connectedthrough the medium of a flexible exhaust pipe 66 that may be positionedaccording to prevailing winds so as to avoid intake of exhaust fumesthrough the inlet 26.

A handle 68 suitably mounted on the casing 10, permits manual handlingof the entire relatively light weight and compact unit.

It is manifest that in operation, after the burner 42 is ignited and theheater 38 becomes hot, energization of prime mover 34 will operate theblower rotor 32 to force currents of air against the heater 38 forultimate discharge from the outlet 30. The hot products of combustionrising from the heater 38 and passing through the heat exchanger 40 forexhaust through fine 52 will likewise give up heat to the air currents.

Through use of structure of this type, the aforementioned conduitsleading from the outlet 30 may be directed into manholes or intooverhead tents or canopies and other points of work for the purpose ofpermitting the workmen to operate in comfort notwithstanding the tediousnature of the job which they must perform. By the same token, the unitmay be utilized for ventilation purposes through use of the blower 32,all in the same manner but without use of the burner 42.

While details of construction may vary within the spirit of theinvention, it is desired to be limited only by the scope of the appendedclaims.

Having thus described the invention what is claimed as new and desiredto be secured by Letters Patent is:

l. in a portable, combination space heater and ventilator, a relativelynarrow, hollow rectangular casing having a top wall, a bottom wall, apair of side walls, one being provided with an air inlet in the lowerpart thereof, and a pair of end walls, one being provided with an airoutlet in the upper part thereof; an upright tubular heater having anopen uppermost end, said heater being positioned Within the casing onthe bottom wall adjacent the other of said end walls and extendingupwardly alongside said other end wall in spaced relationship thereto; ablower rotor rotatably mounted within the lowermost portion of thecasing between the heater and said one end wall and located adjacent theinlet for creating currents of air and directing the same through thecasing from the inlet to the outlet; an elongated, horizontal, sectionalheat exchanger in the uppermost portion of the casing and having oneendthereof secured to the open uppermost end of the heater and placing theexchanger in communication with the heater, said exchanger comprising anumber of spaced, substantially parallel, relatively shallow, closedshells disposed in superimposed relationship, there being a plurality oftubular elements interconnecting the shells and placing the latter inintercommunication, said heat exchanger being located in superimposedrelationship over the blower rotor and in substantial alignment with theair outlet, each of said shells substantially spanning the distancebetween the side walls and the ends of the shells terminating in spacedrelationship to their respective end walls; a fuel burner disposedwithin the heater adjacent the lowermost end thereof; a flue mounted onthe heat exchanger in communication therewith and extending through thecasing for exhausting the heater and heat exchanger of products ofcombustion emanating from the burner; and a sectional spiral scrollbetween the blower and the heat exchanger and spanning the distancebetween the sides of the casing for guiding the air from the blower 4rotor directly against the burner, upwardly around the heater, laterallyacross the shells and outwardly through the air inlet.

2. A heater and ventilator as set forth in claim 1, wherein there isprovided an arcuate opening at the lowermost end of the heater in theface thereof proximate to said other end wall whereby air emanating fromthe rotor forces said products of combustion through the heater, theheat exchanger and the flue.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS1,561,741 Page Nov. 17, 1925 2,132,294 Hatvelt Oct. 4, 1938 2,156,101Willett Apr. 25, 1939 2,193,735 Mueller Mar. 12, 1940 2,263,732 JohnstonNov. 25, 1941 2,373,900 Livar Apr. 17, 1945 2,383,431 Weyenberg Aug. 21,1945 2,405,427 Holthouse Aug. 6, 1946 2,684,667 Glasby July 27, 1954FOREIGN PATENTS 665,164 Germany Sept. 22, 1938

